What's with all of these Christians claiming to be Jews?

[SpeakNow]

First Ray Comfort did it on 180. Now some dude on the 19KaC page (someone who is all about Jesus) is claiming to be Jewish--all while professing the truth of the Gospel. Then we have our favorite fundies doing passover and wearing Magen David necklaces. What the fuck?

[Bethella]

Maybe it has something to do with their persecution-complex and needing to align themselves with a group that has been historically persecuted for their religious beliefs.

Or it could just be the need to fulfill the prophecies regarding the end of days. :roll:

[emmiedahl]

Jesus Christ on a cracker, are they still there? (trots on over).

SpeakNow, if you are not already my FB friend then by all means friend me.

[Arete]

Maybe it has something to do with their persecution-complex and needing to align themselves with a group that has been historically persecuted for their religious beliefs.

DING DING DING! We have a winner. ;)

[emmiedahl]

I hope they are not really Jewish because I thought we were more literate than that. :roll:

[SpeakNow]

I hope they are not really Jewish because I thought we were more literate than that. :roll:

I would also assume that, as Jews, we would know that you don't just read from the Torah.

[anniebgood]

A very good friend of mine, who is a very devout Christian, left a mega church in the Denver area to join a Messianic congregation. They worship on Saturday (Shabbat), eat clean, the guys wear a kippah in the service, she calls the Lord Yahweh, yet she still follows Joyce Meyer and other ministries. I don't know how long this will last. Her husband follows her lead, but he's going to the South Pole in about a month for 12 weeks, and I don't know if he'll follow while he is gone. When she went to the mega church they went to the services on Saturday nights, but that was for convenience. I don't know what got into her. She's searching, and when she finds it she'll stop doing this I think.

[patsymae]

[link=][/link]

"Messianic Jews" are evangelical Christians (some charge the largest movement, Jews for Jesus, is an outreach of the Southern Baptist Convention) who want to convert Jews to Christianity--Christians are "completed Jews." The idea is that you appeal to Jews by presenting Christianity in terms of Jewish culture--thus the "rabbis," "Shabbat," building sukkahs and and so on--rather than using symbols that can have negative connotations, such as churches, crosses and so on.

They target Jewish people who are not well educated in Jewish religion but have cultural ties--for example, they made a huge effort from the '70s to the '90s (maybe still do) to convert Jewish immigrants from the Soviet Union, who never practiced Judaism but might, for example, remember grandma lighting candles on the Sabbath.

It's just another trick to spread "the word." And a pretty underhanded one, IMO.

[JesusFightClub]

The Yahweh/Yeshua stuff from Christians always really gets me annoyed. Those words have perfectly good English equivalents, and I'm guessing the service and everything is in English and they go around mostly speaking English, so why not use the English names there?

There are some words which don't translate well into English - no direct equivalent, or an unfamiliar concept. "Yahweh" and "Yeshua" are not amongst them.

[Glass Cowcatcher]

Maybe it has something to do with their persecution-complex and needing to align themselves with a group that has been historically persecuted for their religious beliefs.

Or it could just be the need to fulfill the prophecies regarding the end of days. :roll:

This has been my experience with these people. They want the speshul persecuted snowflake status that comes with being Jewish, but don't really want to go all the way with a religion that requires them to, well, do something.

[GeoBQn]

First Ray Comfort did it on 180. Now some dude on the 19KaC page (someone who is all about Jesus) is claiming to be Jewish--all while professing the truth of the Gospel. Then we have our favorite fundies doing passover and wearing Magen David necklaces. What the fuck?

From that thread on the FB page:

Stephanie Jones Wow, 125 comments! I think that's a record! I'm impressed! Quick question though, I thought Judaism was a sect of Christiantity, or is it considered different? This question might have already been asked, but doggonit some of these posts are long and boring!

:angry-banghead:

[Peas n carrots]

From that thread on the FB page:

:angry-banghead:

Stephanie sums up all that is wrong with a big chunk of America. She doesn't want to read those big long answers to find out!

Tabby is my favorite Plain Mennonite Messianic Jew. I am under the impression a lot of the messianic types are lone wolves - more as one person or a family that mismashed certain beliefs rather than a congregation.

[DistantStar]

I don't know but I wish they'd choose one or the other -- or, if you want to be a Christian but adopt some Jewish practices do so both with knowledge and respect, not lifting things totally out of context. And to do it in a deliberate attempt to convert actual Jews is despicable. Be honest about who and what you are! If you're all about Jesus you are not, religiously, Jewish. You haven't been for nearly a couple of thousand years.

[Hane]

"Messianic Jews" are evangelical Christians (some charge the largest movement, Jews for Jesus, is an outreach of the Southern Baptist Convention) who want to convert Jews to Christianity--Christians are "completed Jews." The idea is that you appeal to Jews by presenting Christianity in terms of Jewish culture--thus the "rabbis," "Shabbat," building sukkahs and and so on--rather than using symbols that can have negative connotations, such as churches, crosses and so on.

They target Jewish people who are not well educated in Jewish religion but have cultural ties--for example, they made a huge effort from the '70s to the '90s (maybe still do) to convert Jewish immigrants from the Soviet Union, who never practiced Judaism but might, for example, remember grandma lighting candles on the Sabbath.

It's just another trick to spread "the word." And a pretty underhanded one, IMO.

I have a dear friend (who converted to Lutheranism from Catholicism for perfectly sound reasons) who learned about "Messianic Jews" in a presentation at her new church years ago. She was led to believe that "Jews for Jesus" is a humongous, mainstream, and well-respected movement. I was unable to explain to her that it's an insidious thing that's co-opting true Judaism.

(I hope to hell I don't sound braggy here, but it can be tough to be the "smart one"--their words, not mine--among a certain group of my friends. They'll come up with stuff about the Jews for Jesus thing, or Glenn Beck, or the Tea Party, and, if I try to explain my own views [backing them up with facts], I come across as preachy, pedantic, and holier-than-thou.)

[pomology]

Can somebody tell me (or PM me) the link for this thread? I have a love/hate relationship with faux Jews. By which I mean, I love to hate them.

[ilovetchotchkes]

I have a dear friend (who converted to Lutheranism from Catholicism for perfectly sound reasons) who learned about "Messianic Jews" in a presentation at her new church years ago. She was led to believe that "Jews for Jesus" is a humongous, mainstream, and well-respected movement. I was unable to explain to her that it's an insidious thing that's co-opting true Judaism.

(I hope to hell I don't sound braggy here, but it can be tough to be the "smart one"--their words, not mine--among a certain group of my friends. They'll come up with stuff about the Jews for Jesus thing, or Glenn Beck, or the Tea Party, and, if I try to explain my own views [backing them up with facts], I come across as preachy, pedantic, and holier-than-thou.)

My parents are convinced of the same thing and actually called me "intolerant" because I said how much i disliked them. (parents are Catholic and actually had one of them come to church and give a speech about what they did. Minus the evangelism of course. My mother was all "ohhh so they're just like first century Christians!" *facepalm*)

[GeoBQn]

Can somebody tell me (or PM me) the link for this thread? I have a love/hate relationship with faux Jews. By which I mean, I love to hate them.

https://www.facebook.com/19KidsandCounting?ref=ts

Go to the post started by "Brian Susan Schmidt."

[mirele]

"Messianic Jews" = "Baptists in sheep's clothing."

Quite a long time ago, I dated a very liberal Jew (didn't keep kosher, went to a Reconstructionist synagogue and loved dancing with the Torah on Simchat Torah) and we ran into a Jew for Jesus handing out tracts on the T (Boston subway). My then-bf, who was/is VERY mild mannered guy, came stark staring unglued and went back to argue with the guy. He was furious.

Personally, I think after 2000 years of non-success at converting Jews to Christianity, Christians should just stop. And then stop with trying to convert other people as well. But start with Jews first.

[pomology]

"Messianic Jews" = "Baptists in sheep's clothing."

Quite a long time ago, I dated a very liberal Jew (didn't keep kosher, went to a Reconstructionist synagogue and loved dancing with the Torah on Simchat Torah) and we ran into a Jew for Jesus handing out tracts on the T (Boston subway). My then-bf, who was/is VERY mild mannered guy, came stark staring unglued and went back to argue with the guy. He was furious.

Personally, I think after 2000 years of non-success at converting Jews to Christianity, Christians should just stop. And then stop with trying to convert other people as well. But start with Jews first.

Isn't that all Jews?

Also, GeoBQn, Thanks.

[mirele]

Isn't that all Jews?

Also, GeoBQn, Thanks.

To be clear: Christians, please stop converting people. You can start by crossing Jews off your "To Be Converted" list. But it would be better if you went cold turkey. KTHXBAI.

[pomology]

To be clear: Christians, please stop converting people. You can start by crossing Jews off your "To Be Converted" list. But it would be better if you went cold turkey. KTHXBAI.

My question was in relation to the bolded--don't all Jews love dancing with the Torah on Simchat Torah?

And I totally agree with your other sentiment.

[mirele]

My question was in relation to the bolded--don't all Jews love dancing with the Torah on Simchat Torah?

And I totally agree with your other sentiment.

Erm, OK, it's still WAY too early in the morning. I didn't see that. And yes, as far as I know, all Jews love dancing with the Torah on Simchat Torah. (Not Jewish, so making an assumption here.)

[DarkAnts]

Erm, OK, it's still WAY too early in the morning. I didn't see that. And yes, as far as I know, all Jews love dancing with the Torah on Simchat Torah. (Not Jewish, so making an assumption here.)

There are two different types of Jews. There are Jews that are religious and Ethnic Jews. Ethnic Jews are born jewish but are not religious.

[slh12280]

https://www.facebook.com/19KidsandCounting?ref=ts

Go to the post started by "Brian Susan Schmidt."

Wow, this guy really pulled out all the stops. Every cliche known to man was used. "I am not religious because I have a relationship." "I am Jewish!" "I am persecuted!" "The ACLU is after Christians!!!!"

Now I can't stop reading.

[Peas n carrots]

I drive by the Jews For Jesus HQ (not sure if it is a regional office or main hq). It also happens to be in Skokie, IL which is heavily Jewih. I can only imagine how much that irritates the locals.